Padmani, the Bearer of the Lotus

Here is a painting of Padmani from the Ajanta Buddhist caves, in India.

I was amazed by the beauty in the detail but even more by the feeling I got standing in front of the 1600 year old mural. In art school, some say that we draw ourselves even when depicting others. I imagine the artist who worked on this image had a deep practice to reflect such a presence here.

Something I learned researching this image is that Padmani is a distinct form of Avalokiteśvara, characterized by the Lotus flower in hand.